Cultural Dimensions and Behavior: A Comparative Study

Examine the role of two cultural dimensions on behaviour

Info:

Cultural Dimensions: are traits that are characteristic to certain cultures. The theorist of the Cultural Dimensions theory, Geert Hofstede, conducted a massive study across 50 countries over 10 years to test his theory. At the conclusion of his study, Hofstede observed four dimensions.

• Individualism-Collectivism - where the individual self is more important than societal connections
• Masculinity-Femininity - “masculinity focuses on achievement, heroism, assertiveness, material rewards for success; femininity focuses on cooperation, modesty, caring for the weaker and for a good quality of life”
• Power Distance - “the degree to which the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. People in societies exhibiting a large degree of power distance accept a hierarchical order… In societies with a low power distance, people strive to equalize the distribution of power and demand justification for inequalities of power.”
• Uncertainty Avoidance “expresses the degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity”

Kashima and Triandis

• Aim: Cultural factors affecting attribution (Self Serving Bias and Modesty Bias)

• Method:

  • Participants were students from Japan and America.
  • They were given pictures of unfamiliar countries and were asked to remember details.
  • Participants then performed a recall of the details

• Results:

  • American students tend to attribute success to dispositional factors more. (Self-serving bias).
  • Japanese students tend to attribute failure to dispositional factors more (Modesty bias).

• Conclusion:

  • Biases in attribution can be affected by our cultural background.

• Evaluation:

  • Ecological validity: High, naturalistic observation.
  • Culture bias: only one superstitious group were studied locally.

Mead

• Aim: Comparing masculine and feminine traits in different cultures in New Guinea.

• Method:

  • Covert observation.
  • Research was done in three different tribes in New Guinea.

• Results:

  • One tribe shows that both male and female displayed the same sensitive behavior.
  • Another tribe shows that both male and female were aggressive and ruthless.
  • Another tribe shows that female had the dominant characteristics and male showed more “feminine” traits.

• Conclusion:

  • Mead’s demonstration of cultural differences in many respects a valid indication of how society can influence gender-role development.

• Evaluation:

  • Unscientific methodology.
  • Possible Confirmation Bias – Researcher believed that situation was influential in changing behavior.
  • Re-analysis of Mead’s material failed to show that one of the tribe displayed any gender dominance.
  • Covert observation, did not interfere with subject’s life.
  • Female researcher, might not understand the perspective of a male subject.